Celebrating the art of beginning.

Monthly Archives: January 2013

Dozens of my friends are lounging on a beach in Mexico, on a group business boondoggle I am missing for the first time in three years. I’m reminiscing. It was on this trip three years ago that I realized just how many closeted stARTists are running around in the world . . . on beaches, in boardrooms. Outing them has become my favorite pastime.

On one trip with these accomplished women, I heard several remark that they wanted to write a book but had not yet started. So the following year, I shared my vacation art supplies (who goes on vacation without art supplies?) and witnessed the creation of 27 books and 18 authors. (Some prolific stARTists wrote more than one.) All these first books are snappy, to-the-point, and free of confusing plot twists. Perfect poolside reading.

This year, I sent supplies along with a stARTist who promises to share. I can’t wait to see what you come up with, ladies!

Entrepreneurs create services and inventions and products we didn’t know we needed. They create knowledge and efficiencies and competition. Most important, they create jobs. Entrepreneurs surveyed from the Americas grew their headcount in 2011 by an impressive 18%. In Asia-Pacific and Europe the increases were 16% and 12% respectively.

StARTing a business is not something to be done lightly, but we can investigate our idea and resilience in a forum like START-UP WEEKEND. Startup Weekends are weekend-long, hands-on experiences where entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs can find out if startup ideas are viable.

And we all can contribute to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Supporting dedicated entrepreneurs is stARTistry of the most important kind.